


Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH): Back to the Beginning

by literally_no_idea



Series: Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH) Main Series [42]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Gen, SDfSH 'verse, Service Animals, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 13:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18575374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literally_no_idea/pseuds/literally_no_idea
Summary: Clint yawns, pulling his cup of coffee closer. It’s 2am, and he and Natasha are sitting in some little 24/7 diner, drinking coffee and eating dessert, because it’s too early for breakfast and chocolate lava cake is really good.Lucky and Lapushka are sleeping at their feet under the table; Lucky had gone to grab Natasha when Clint had woken up with nightmares and couldn’t fall back asleep, haunted by the memories from his childhood. Natasha had taken one look at him and signed “coffee and ice cream?”





	Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH): Back to the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to the series, or if you're new here, welcome! This is the last part of the main series, and is about Clint and Natasha. Enjoy!

Clint yawns, pulling his cup of coffee closer. It’s 2am, and he and Natasha are sitting in some little 24/7 diner, drinking coffee and eating dessert, because it’s too early for breakfast and chocolate lava cake is really good.

 

Lucky and Lapushka are sleeping at their feet under the table; Lucky had gone to grab Natasha when Clint had woken up with nightmares and couldn’t fall back asleep, haunted by the memories from his childhood. Natasha had taken one look at him and signed “coffee and ice cream?”

 

Clint’s grateful that Natasha knows him so well. He’d pulled on a baggy shirt and a pair of pajama pants (because it’s too early in the morning for jeans), and followed Natasha and the dogs to the elevator, not bothering to put his hearing aids in, because he trusts Natasha and Lucky to keep him safe.

 

Natasha already has the dogs’ vests on, and she hands Clint Lucky’s hands free leash, which Clint puts over his shoulder, signing “thanks” as the elevator takes them down to the lobby, the floor numbers changing on the readout above the elevator doors, along with a readout of how long until they reach the selected floor.

 

Tony had added the second part after Clint came to live at the tower and Clint had mentioned wanting to know exactly when the doors would open, because it helped him know exactly when to move and made him a little less jumpy when the doors opened because he couldn’t hear the gears moving to warn him.

 

They reached the lobby, and Natasha and Clint walked to the nearest open diner, shoulders touching as they walked because it helps Clint to have a physical reminder that Natasha’s there.

 

They both ordered coffee at the diner, Clint ordered a chocolate lava cake and Natasha ordering a sundae, Clint signing his order to Natasha for her to tell the server, because Clint is way too tired to deal with this right now.

 

“So, do you want to talk about the nightmares?” Natasha asks, and Clint shrugs.

 

“It’s nothing I haven’t had before. Dad yelling. Couldn’t really hear him, my ears were ringing and everything sounded like it was underwater. A lot of the same memories. I don’t know why it’s bothering me so much tonight.”

 

The server brings their coffee over, and Natasha thanks them, dumping a few packets of sugar and a bunch of creamer into hers, stirring it. Clint knows she isn’t a huge fan of coffee, she’s always preferred tea, but she’ll drink coffee as long as it’s sweet enough. She takes a sip, and it must be sweet enough, because she takes a longer drink before setting the mug down again.

 

“Just because you’ve had these nightmares before doesn’t make them any less painful,” she signs.

 

“Maybe not. But I still just wish I was over it by now. I’ll talk to Dr. Kayode about it in our next session. Hey, do you have any other service dogs you’re training soon?”

 

Clint knows it’s a bad transition, but he also knows that Natasha’s not going to push it. She’ll file it away for another day to question him about it, but she’ll at least drop the topic for now.

 

“No, not anytime soon. But eventually I’ll have to train new dogs for all of us.” The desserts arrive, and Clint takes a bite of his chocolate lava cake. It’s exactly as good as he was hoping, and he must have moaned, because Natasha is watching him with a smirk on her face.

 

Clint takes a drink of his coffee. “I never thought about that, about us needing new dogs at some point.”

 

Natasha shrugs. “Yeah, it’ll have to happen eventually, but for now I think we’re good. Besides, Tony might be able to help me train the dogs in the future too, he did a really good job with Lapushka.”

 

“She does seem to be really good for you. Tony’s a much better person than we initially thought, huh?”

  
  


“Definitely. Even we make mistakes.” Natasha breaks eye contact, stirring her coffee with her spoon absentmindedly. Clint frowns, waving his hand in her peripheral vision until she makes eye contact again.

 

“Hey. It’s not your fault. You and I both know that Tony’s just as hard to read as we are, maybe more so. You couldn’t have known that.”

 

Natasha nods. “Maybe. Hey, I had this reporter contact me, said he wants to interview me about the work I’ve done with all the dogs, how I trained them, how I evaluated you all, that sort of thing.”

 

“Really? Who are they?”

 

“Clark Kent, from the  _ Daily Planet _ .” Natasha eats a few spoonfuls of her sundae.

 

“Did you research him?”

 

Natasha gives Clint a look that can only be described as insulted. “Clint. You cannot be that fucking stupid.”

 

Clint snorts. “Fine, okay, sorry. What did you find about him?”

 

“Not much. Works at the Daily Planet. Adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. But get this- there’s no birth certificate. No birth records at all. It’s like he exists, but he doesn’t.”

 

“So a spy like us?”

 

Natasha shakes her head. “Anyone in our line of work would know to make their new identity as solid as possible, so either he’s an amateur or he’s not actually from Earth.”

 

“You think he’s from another planet? Like Nebula or Loki or something?”

 

Natasha shrugs, eating a spoonful of her sundae. “Maybe. I won’t know for sure until I meet him. Whoever he is, whatever he is, I’m pretty sure I can take him. And if I can’t, it won’t end well for him anyway, because we’re meeting in a restaurant. Anything he does will be well documented.”

 

“Do you want me nearby, just in case?”

 

“Sure. But it should be fine.” The server drops off the check, and Natasha glances at it, pulls thirty dollars out of her wallet. “Ready to go?”

 

Clint nods, and they stand, the dogs standing from under the table and stretching. Natasha pays the bill while Clint and Lucky wait outside, and they start the walk home.

 

“Thanks for the coffee and dessert,” Clint signs.

 

“It’s no problem. I’m always here for you.”

 

“I’m here for you, too. Are you going back to bed when we get home? Because I think I might be able to beat you at Super Smash Bros Melee now.”

 

“Oh, you’re on, Barton.”

**Author's Note:**

> Service dog facts of the day:
> 
> -Service dogs do, in fact, eventually retire. While some dogs will work their entire lives, it's more common for a service dog to retire later in life. This is because as service dogs get older, they get slower, less focused, and develop health issues, and it is no longer practical to work them. A handler may also develop other disabilities that require tasks that their current dog simply can't provide (for example, a handler now needs mobility assistance but they have a small dog.)
> 
> -Some retired service dogs stay with their handlers as pets; others are given to new others, and still others will continue to work but only at home. It depends on the needs and ability of the handler to care for more than one dog at a time.
> 
> -Some service dogs do have to be retired at an earlier age; this can be because of sudden illness, their handler's needs have changed or their handler no longer requires their help, the service dog has been attacked by other dogs or has been in a traumatic situation and is no longer able to work comfortably and safely, the service dog no longer enjoys working or burns out, or any of a number of other reasons.
> 
> With that said, if you would like to see drabbles and notes related to this series or want to talk to me about this series or anything else, you can find me on tumblr [ here](https://servicedogsforsuperheroes.tumblr.com/)
> 
> This is the last part of the main series, so I'd like to thank you all for joining me on this ride! There will be a lot more of this series to come in different installments, but this is the final part of the cohesive timeline that I like to think of as the main series. Thank you so much for your support along the way, and for being a part of this adventure with me.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!!!! <3 <3


End file.
